Midrash su Isaia 14:8
גַּם־בְּרוֹשִׁ֛ים שָׂמְח֥וּ לְךָ֖ אַרְזֵ֣י לְבָנ֑וֹן מֵאָ֣ז שָׁכַ֔בְתָּ לֹֽא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה הַכֹּרֵ֖ת עָלֵֽינוּ׃
Sì, i cipressi si rallegrano di te e i cedri del Libano: 'Da quando sei stato deposto, nessun feller viene contro di noi.'
Eikhah Rabbah
“The ways of Zion are in mourning, without Festival pilgrims; all her gates are desolate; her priests sigh; her maidens are forlorn, and she is embittered” (Lamentations 1:4).
“The ways of Zion are in mourning.” Rav Huna said: Everything seeks to fulfill its role.95The reference here is to fulfilling its role by finding its mate (Matnot Kehuna). There was an incident involving a certain trained female dog that climbed to the top of a crag in order to mate with a male dog.96The trained dog would not generally climb in such a dangerous area, but it exposed itself to this danger in order to mate. Rabbi Ami said: Even cedars seek to fulfill their roles. Know [that this is so], for there were no cedars in Babylon, but when Nebuchadnezzar ascended to here, he uprooted cedars from here and replanted them in Babylon. When he died they rejoiced over his downfall. That is what is written: “Cypresses, too, rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon, [since you have been laid down, the woodcutter does not come against us]” (Isaiah 14:8).97The cedars wanted to propagate in their native land rather than be cut down and transported elsewhere. Rabbi Avdimi of Haifa said: Even the roads seek to fulfill their role. That is what is written: “The ways of Zion are in mourning, without Festival pilgrims.” Without wooden huts and without dignitaries is not written here, but rather, “without Festival pilgrims.”
“All her gates are desolate,” as there was no one entering or exiting through them. “Her priests sigh,” as there was no one to give them the priestly gifts, just as it says: “He shall give to the priest the foreleg, the jaw, and the maw” (Deuteronomy 18:3). Rabbi Yitzḥak ben Rabbi Simon said: “Her maidens are forlorn [nugot],” these are the Torah scholars, who were as beautiful as maidens and they became like wax [kadonag].98Just as wax melts away, their hearts melted in their sorrow (Matnot Kehuna). Rabbi Shmuel said that Rabbi Yitzḥak said: These are the dignitaries who were as beautiful as maidens and became like forlorn young women [nugot].
Alternatively, “her maidens are forlorn,” as this one would come and violate her and that one would come and violate her until they greatly aggravated her wound. “And she is embittered,” she is embittered due to her nakedness.
“The ways of Zion are in mourning.” Rav Huna said: Everything seeks to fulfill its role.95The reference here is to fulfilling its role by finding its mate (Matnot Kehuna). There was an incident involving a certain trained female dog that climbed to the top of a crag in order to mate with a male dog.96The trained dog would not generally climb in such a dangerous area, but it exposed itself to this danger in order to mate. Rabbi Ami said: Even cedars seek to fulfill their roles. Know [that this is so], for there were no cedars in Babylon, but when Nebuchadnezzar ascended to here, he uprooted cedars from here and replanted them in Babylon. When he died they rejoiced over his downfall. That is what is written: “Cypresses, too, rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon, [since you have been laid down, the woodcutter does not come against us]” (Isaiah 14:8).97The cedars wanted to propagate in their native land rather than be cut down and transported elsewhere. Rabbi Avdimi of Haifa said: Even the roads seek to fulfill their role. That is what is written: “The ways of Zion are in mourning, without Festival pilgrims.” Without wooden huts and without dignitaries is not written here, but rather, “without Festival pilgrims.”
“All her gates are desolate,” as there was no one entering or exiting through them. “Her priests sigh,” as there was no one to give them the priestly gifts, just as it says: “He shall give to the priest the foreleg, the jaw, and the maw” (Deuteronomy 18:3). Rabbi Yitzḥak ben Rabbi Simon said: “Her maidens are forlorn [nugot],” these are the Torah scholars, who were as beautiful as maidens and they became like wax [kadonag].98Just as wax melts away, their hearts melted in their sorrow (Matnot Kehuna). Rabbi Shmuel said that Rabbi Yitzḥak said: These are the dignitaries who were as beautiful as maidens and became like forlorn young women [nugot].
Alternatively, “her maidens are forlorn,” as this one would come and violate her and that one would come and violate her until they greatly aggravated her wound. “And she is embittered,” she is embittered due to her nakedness.
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